Toothpick-container.



A. H. MONES.

TOGTHPICK CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1915.

I 1,280,804. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 2 1711mm fl-MMUNE W 0 v a g, &

ARTHUR HERBERT MONES, OF KERROBERT, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

TOOTHPICK-CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial No. 21,899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. MONES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Kerrobert, in the Province of Saskatchewan,Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inToothpick-Containers, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to tooth pick containers particularly adapted foruse in restaurants and like public places.

At the present time tooth picks are invariably placed in open containerswith the inevitable result that they quickly become insanit-ary, due tothe accumulation of dust or other contaminating influences, and one ofthe objects of this invention is to overcome this objection and keep thetooth picks at all times in a sanitary condition ready for use. Furtherobjects are to simplify the construction of the container, to facilitatein refilling the same and generally to adapt the several parts to betterperform the functions required of them, and it consists essentially ofthe improved construction particularly described and set forth in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings forming part of thesame.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved container.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the container.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the severaldrawings.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the improved container which issubstantially rectangular in form and provided near the upper edge witha longitudinally extending slot l,the opposite edges of which areprovided intermediate of their length with curved recesses 2 the objectof which will be made clear hereafter.

In the embodiment illustrated the bottom member 3 is made removable andprovided with spring clips 4 adapted to engage the inner periphery ofthe container.

Cooperating with the bottom member 3 is a plate 6 slida-bly mounted inthe container and normally pressed upwardly therein by the spiralsprings connected at their upper and lower ends to the said plate andbottom respectively.

In filling the container with tooth picks 7 it is only necessary toremove thebottom member 3 thereby Withdrawing the plate 6 connected tothe springs 5, the container being then inverted and the tooth picksplaced therein whereupon the plate 6 is reinserted into the containerand the bottom secured thereto by the clips 4.

When it is desired to withdraw a tooth pick it is only necessary toinsert the index finger in the curved recess 2 in the top of thecontainer whereupon the tooth pick may be pulled laterally outwardlythrough the slot 1 and gripped by the index finger and thumb.

The function of the plate 6 and the actua'ting springs 5 is to press thetooth picks upwardly so that when the top tooth pick has been removedthe following one is fed into position ready to be withdrawn.

From this description it will be seen that I have invented a tooth pickcontainer which can be advantageously used in hotels and like places andin which the tooth picks may be kept for any length of time withoutbecoming insanitary.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely diiferent embodiments of my invention, within thescope of the claim, constructed without departing from the spirit orscope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theaccompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

A tooth pick holder comprising a rectangular container having alongitudinally ex tending slot through one of the lateral walls adjacentto the top, the opposite edges of the slot being formed intermediate oftheir length with curved recesses thereby permitting of a tooth pickbeing withdrawn laterally from the container, a removable bot- 3? eeoeoeIn Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n the presence of tWowltnesses.

ARTHUR HERBERT MONES.

Witnesses: v

JOSEPH ARTHUR WINKEs, MORTIMER Bnowrn tom, spring clips on the bottomdesigned to engage with the inner periphery of the container, 2t plateslidzvbly mounted Within the container, and spiral springs adjacent tothe opposite ends of the plate and bottom, designed to uniformly pressthe platerupwardly to feed the toothpicks to the slot.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington D. U.

